Believing
by Simple.White.Lie
Summary: Kinda a weird piece..between NM and E, Bella is having a hard time trusting again... it really wasn't automatic, it took time.. BxE, PLEASE REVEIW..


**Regular disclaimer, don't own it, blah blah blah… This one is kinda weird, so flames are ok… I'll understand if you don't get where I was going with it… (I didn't know till the day I finished this… ha ha)**

It was a regular day. I was in history class staring at the clock, waiting for the bell. Edward would be waiting outside the classroom when the bell rang and we would have

the few minutes it took my truck to grumble down the beaten path home.

The clock ticked the last time and the bell finally rang through the halls. Gathering my books, I walked out of class, looking for my personal Grecian god. Odd, Edward, every day since he came back had been waiting outside at the end of the day. At my locker I was starting to get worried. Maybe something happened, knowing his family it could be anything. But the Volvo was still in the parking lot.

The drive home was unusually quiet, it was unnerving, I hadn't been in silence like this since, the darkness. The blackest time where there was no one. The cruiser was parked in Charlie's usual spot, but otherwise nothing. When I got to my room I threw my bag on the bed and scowled at the window. Picking up the phone I dialled his number, nothing, not even an answering service. Just a click and a beep.

"What happened to you?" I had, mentally, been trying to sound angry, but the edge of panic was now in my voice. They wouldn't leave with the Volvo in the parking lot. I hadn't checked the other classrooms at school, maybe he had been talking to someone, or went home early, left Alice to drive home. The phone started ringing in my hand.

"Hello?" my rushed anxiety seeping in.

"Bella," Alice's wind chime voice echoed, "Edward's fine, but there was a- complication at home." My heart instantly quick the erratic dance it had been pounding out a few minutes earlier.

"Oh, ok thank you. I was starting to get worried."

"Yes. Peter and Charlotte came see and Charlie's going to ask why your on the phone-" Charlie walked in my room and frowned. Technically I wasn't supposed to be on the phone. Rephrase, as long as it was Edward I wasn't supposed to be on the phone.

"Hey dad," Alice stopped chattering on the other end, "It's Alice. She ran into a locker at school, I was just making sure she was ok." Charlie nodded and mumble "Tell her to feel better," and went back downstairs.

"Alice?"

"Edward is halfway there, he left as soon as you called." Alice eased my relief. "He had been waiting for you to get home. They decided to show up for a visit." We chatted for a few more minutes and said our goodbyes. It wasn't often that other vampires came to town, and since James last spring Edward has been irritatingly vigilant. And then Victoria while he had been.. Gone.

I was feeling a little claustrophobic, I had no room to breathe. I vaguely heard the phone ring again and paid no attention, I was booting up the computer. There was muffled talking downstairs and minutes later Charlie walked in again, I hadn't heard him coming up the stairs, nor coming down the hall, and so I jumped when he appeared inside my room. And proceeded to fall on the floor. Charlie shook his head and smiled.

"Bella, I have to down to Mason County, but I'll be back very soon." His words were light, but his eyes held a hardness that said "_nothing stupid while I'm gone_"

"Something happen?" A frown tugged at his rugged features.

"Cooper Eton's truck blew up coming home with some fireworks from Hoquiam."

"Is he ok?" Oh my, I shivered at the thought of _my_ truck getting ripped up, if my

vehicle choice was up to Edward, I'd be driving something significantly younger and faster. Not to mention more expensive.

"Far as I know, shocked but ok. Since he's from here they wanted me to go up, so I'll be back by eight." Charlie walked out, glancing back at me sitting at the computer and left.

It's time's like this I wished for nothing more than to be able to know what he was thinking. The computer wheezed and moaned as I booted up and checked my email. Two from Renee, a couple spam and one from an old friend in Phoenix. I tried to think back to the person I was before Edward. But I couldn't. He brought out all the best part of me. I whipped around when I heard my bed creak, and found him laying there smirking at me.

"What's so funny?" I snapped, I still hadn't forgiven him for running off.

"You, you so amazing. I just watched twelve different emotions run across your face, and yet I still can't hear." I let my face go blank and swivelled around in my desk chair. Looking at him pointedly I started, "So Houdini. What happened."

"Nothing." He said quickly. But his face displayed the truth in his lie, he was worried.

"Edward." I said tiredly, I hated doing this, pulling the truth out of him, I know he didn't want me to be frightened, but wouldn't be better to have me ready.

"Alice told me Peter and Charlotte came. I can call her for the rest of the details." Alice who told me. Alice who trusted me not to get scared. Edward who cared so entirely, Edward who loved me, with every inch of his existence. It was always a hard decision.

"Bella, love, it's nothing, a couple of our friends from before came down to visit."

"The friends that aren't vegetarians."

"No, their not." His voice said the conversation was over. But I wasn't done.

"So why did you leave and not say anything?"

"Bella I-" He stood there like he had been asked to solve world hunger. The dumbstruck look would have been funny if I hadn't been shaking with anger, or something else. It was easier than letting the floodgates go, with anger it was easier to remain detached.

"Edward, I don't want to hear that they needed you, Alice said it was just Peter and Charlotte, Jaspers friends. He and Emmett would have been fine."

"Bella-"

"And secondly, why did you leave without saying anything, you didn't call, say

anything at lunch, Alice would have seen if anything was going to go bad. You have no excuses Edward, and I was terrified-" my voice broke, I couldn't get it out, but I had to.

"You had left. Again." The words I had forbidden my self to tell him, the infliction they had on him struck his face as if I had slapped him. The pain was similar to that that gnawed at my middle. The tears I had forbidden, fell down my cheeks, my arms wrapping around me, holding myself together. Edward's arms were around me in seconds, his own arms clenched around me, his head buried in my hair.

Within second's I found I was being cradled in his lap, my head tucked under his chin, his arms rubbing soothing circles on my shoulders.

"Bella. Peter wanted me to ask something of me. Their gone now, never really planned on coming, or even staying. But when they found themselves in the area, they couldn't help but stop and ask me of Chicago." his birthplace. I chewed on my lower lip, I had overreacted. I had to have more trust in Edward, but my heart still held scars. I couldn't help but still feel inadequate.

"I'm sorry."

"No, love, your right, I should have said something, I should have told you I was leaving. I thought if I left while you were in history, I could be home and back before you finished class, but my calculation was wrong. For that I am sorry." I looked up at his solemn face. The lines etched in his strong brow mirrored the worry and pain he carried every day of his existence. I smoothed his forehead with my hand, cupping his cheek and looking into the fading topaz.

"It's ok Edward. I overreacted. I should know better." He leaned down and kissed me softly, somehow my leg's got around his waist and when he pulled away, I was straddling his lap, my hand dug in his bronze gold hair. And we were both breathing heavily.

"Bella I don't think-"

"You think far too much." That's as far as I got before my mouth was busy with Edward's neck , my lips claming every part I could reach, my hands filling with the hair.

"Yes Bella, but it can't be helped." He gently pulled me back. I pouted and then stopped, something catching my eye.

"What's wrong?" The muscle in his jaw was tense, and despite the playful look, there was something deep-seated in his topaz eyes. I became stiff as I labelled the look, it was the same one he had given me in the forest that week that I refuse to remember. Till now.

"What's wrong?" I cupped his cheek, my arms moving robotically, my entire body still rigid, locking down, preparing for the worst. He looked at me, his eyes sad.

"Bella, are you happy?" The way he was staring at my face was worrying me

"Yes Edward? Of course I am. Why?"

" I've noticed lately something's and.." His eyes met mine, and he glanced at our entwined hands, guilt crossed his face, it was disheartening. "You seem too-.." He looked down, my limbs still wrapped around him, my hands on his shoulders. I was bracing for the words that had brought my world to an end months ago.

"Edward?" I could hear the panic in my voice. The raw, sheer emotion that was starting to scare me, "Don't. Stop right there. I don't care what your going to say. I love you. I'm happier than I've been in month's. And I don't care what or why you did what you had to. I didn't when you told me, I still don't now, all I care about it that your back. Here, with me." I buried my head in his chest, "And if you ever try to attempt anything like that again, _I_ will track you down and drag you back."

"Bella." His voice was reassuring. His hand under my chin dragged my face up to his, and I looked into his eyes, the bottomless depths didn't frighten me like they did last fall, in the pools of butterscotch gold I saw pain, anger, regret, and love. Sincere and honest, pure and true.

How could I ever doubt him. After one word, with one look, I knew. "I love you Bella. When you see that, you'll realise that I can never - will never leave you again."

Our tender moment was broken by Charlie's voice at the door, and Edward pulled back. I grabbed his shirt and pressed my lips against his, all the confused feelings for him washed into that one embrace. His cool hand on my shoulders were comforting, then he pulled back, " Go make Charlie dinner, I'll be back after dinner." I smiled and my hand rested on his chest for a brief moment.

"See you." and I actually believed it. He would be back, as I was tied to him, he would be forever tied to me. As I watched his form turn ethereal as he flew out the window I heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs, and the following knock on the door.

"Bell's? You ok?"

"Sure dad." I turned around and smiled. It was genuine and I found I actually did feel ok, great even. Because I knew it wouldn't take any longer for my heart to begin to heal. The scars were fading, and the pain was gone. I smiled at Charlie and followed him downstairs.

Edward would be back. I believed that. And eventually, I would be strong enough that he would never be able to leave, Forever. I was really starting to like the sounds of that.


End file.
